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The Strand: My Version of Paradise!

Some of my friends will understand why I titled this post the way I did – if they are a 311 fan, that is! In case you didn’t already know, I am pretty much a 311 fanatic, and I follow them on tour every summer (although this summer I will only make it to the California shows, which is really quite depressing)! But anyways, there is a song by 311 called “Paradise,” and one of the lyrics is “I can’t forget you, and our version of paradise.”

This is how I feel about the Strand in Hermosa Beach. If you’re not from around here or familiar with the area, you are probably wondering what in the world the “Strand” is! It is a wide, paved path that runs along the beach from Palos Verdes (just south of Redondo Beach) all the way up to Mailbu. I had seen the part of the path that runs alongside Redondo Beach many times while I was down at the beach (since I live about a block from the beach in Redondo)…but didn’t think that much of it. Also, part of the path is on Redondo Pier itself, which is strange, and it even goes inside/through a parking garage! It’s not very intuitive, and I only walked on it once just to see where exactly it led. I was in for a big surprise when I discovered a few weeks ago what the Strand truly is, in Hermosa Beach.

One evening a few weeks ago, I decided to take a walk down to Hermosa Beach to see for myself what I had heard so much about. At that point, I had not yet seen or experienced Hermosa Beach at all, but was hearing lots of great things from friends about the beach itself, the Strand, and the vibe of the community. I walked from my apartment, down Catalina Ave., to Harbor Dr., and realized how close the city of Hermosa Beach really was! It was just about a 15 minute walk, which I was really excited about.

I found where to enter the Strand, which is just off the corner of Harbor and 1st Street, I believe. I will NEVER forget the moment I turned the corner and for the first time, was faced with the indescribable beauty that lay beyond! It was evening, but the sun was still pretty high in the sky, and the scene was like something from a calendar or a movie – a place that you don’t really believe exists, because it is so beautiful. I absolutely had that feeling of “AHHHH!” (sung in an opera-esque voice, you know, like when you have a major revelation?!) come over me as I turned that corner, and it really was almost a heavenly sight, and moment. And I still find myself describing the Strand and the beaches as “heavenly” (again just tonight in fact), because that is truly the best word that comes to mind whenever I see this place!

The beach is wide, flat, and appears to stretch for miles; the sand is much lighter, a very very light tan (not quite white!), the ocean is bluer (I swear!) and the mountains/Malibu in the distance to the north are captivating and majestic, a beautiful backdrop on a clear day or night. Not to mention the palm trees and countless volleybal nets and players, which all help to create an absolutely magical scene. PARADISE!! These are all things you will see on your left-hand side, while on the right, the Strand is lined with (mostly) large, ornate, beautiful homes.

Here are a few photos I took about a week ago (I will post more eventually in the Photos section):

Eventually you will arrive at Hermosa Pier, which is at the end of Pier Ave. in the city of Hermosa. The pier itself extends out to the left/west from the Strand (coming from Redondo) and to the right/east lie a number of bars and restaurants, on a promenade lined with huge palm trees that light up at night. Nothing short of awesome!

The pier itself is amazing – I was suprised by how far it juts out into the ocean. It is the perfect place to take in a sunset and reflect on the day, or life in general. The first time I walked all the way to the end of the pier, I was practically in tears! The entire scene is so peaceful and magical!

On the evening of Friday, April 23rd, I had probably the best walk I may ever have on the Strand. The weather was perfect, I was listening to great music, and I took in so many sights that it was almost overwhelming. I got what I believe was a truly authentic view of the “culture” of the Strand, and I still need to write something separate about it…look for that coming soon. In short, just some of the sights you will see on any given evening: walkers, bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, dogs, guys randomly playing guitar, people playing volleyball, doing yoga on the beach, people enjoying wine on their decks, people on dates, kids, people from all walks of life and all different parts of the world. An absolute mish-mash of people and activities, with one thing in common: they’re all there to enjoy the beach, the air, the sunset, and life. There is not even the slightest worry in the air that anyone will be judged, looked at strangely, or looked down upon. There is a liberating sense of freedom in this place, and my heart was incredibly happy and at peace that night. Without a doubt, my version of paradise! =D

Here is a photo from a different evening, to give you an idea:

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NOW, finally, on to today…the main purpose of this post was to talk about the awesome time I had rollerblading on the Strand today! I went out at about 3:30 or 3:45pm, and walked down to the entrance to the Strand in Hermosa. I carried my rollerblades with me in a plastic bag, since I didn’t want to attempt rollerblading down there on the streets or on the sidewalks.

I usually take walks/runs down on the Strand in the evenings around 6:30pm or so, so it was a little different going down there earlier in the day…but it was just as beautiful as ever! It was realllly nice out – sunny and about 70 degrees – and they sky was very clear so I could thankfully see those mountains/Malibu to the north (it has been kind of foggy or overcast the last few times I’ve been down there, and I haven’t been able to see them for quite some time). The whole scene was so incredibly pretty, and there were a lot of people out playing volleyball already. There weren’t too many people on the path and it was very smooth, so rollerblading was very enjoyable. At one point, some guy who ran by me the opposite way said “SEXY!” Haha! That makes me feel good, especially in LA, where much fitter, more beautiful girls are everywhere (isn’t that one saying “a dime a dozen?”).

Anyway…as I was going along, a group of four guys passed me on bikes and said hi. One of them was a “little person” (is that the correct terminology?!) and I was pretty sure it was Wee-Man from Jackass! When I reached the end of the paved part (before you have to climb steps to get on the Strand again to head toward Manhattan Beach), I stopped by the same group of four guys who had gathered at the end of the path. I asked the small one what his name was, and at first he said “Jason,” but then said he was Wee-Man and that he was on Jackass, etc. I definitely recognized him from the show! I talked to them for a little bit and as I turned around to head back, one of them yelled to me, “are you Italian?” So I came back and explained that I’m Italian, German and Hungarian, but I get asked all the time “what I am” since I’ve been thought to be anything from Mexican to Indian to Melado! I don’t know what it is, but people always think I’m different ethnicities! Then one of the guys said he is a boxing trainer in Redondo and told me to come to his club, that he’d “hook me up.” Whatever that means…maybe I’ll check it out, but probably not! =D

I went home, but then went back down there at about 6:30 to rollerblade again! I couldn’t get enough! When the sun was about to set, I went down to the beach to watch it, but this Mexican guy came over and wouldn’t stop talking to me! I kept saying I didn’t understand him, but he wouldn’t stop trying to ask me things…doesn’t “no entiendo” mean “I don’t understand?!” But he just kept trying to talk to me, and it was really awkward. Finally I said I had to go, and the half hour (or more) walk home from the pier was SO COLD! I came home and took a long hot shower and decided to finally start this blog. =D

I did get some productive things done today, in addition to all the rollerblading! I applied for a few jobs and had about a 30 minute conversation with a guy that might hire me to do some research and website work for his music industry events/resources sites. I think it went pretty well, and I’m supposed to look into a few things and call him back on Wednesday. It sounds like it would be a job I would really like, and I could work from home! He kept asking me what my compensation would be, and told me to think about it, but I have no idea what to say…I hate that! I’ll have to think about what I’m going to request…

I also sent my niece a letter and some shells today – I can’t wait for her to get them! Otherwise, that’s about it…I really need to clean this room, and apply for more jobs tomorrow!

I promise the rest of the entries won’t be this long, but I felt I had a lot to explain in this first one. Good night, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds! =D

(I have about 3 weeks of happenings to catch up on, and I will cover my whole journey out here and first few weeks as I have time to update!)